Treatment-Resistant Depression (TRD)Depressive DisordersAnxiety DisordersSubstance Use Disorders (SUD)Palliative & End-of-Life DistressSchizophreniaSafety & Risk ManagementSet & SettingPsilocybin

The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act

This review (2018) argues for the safety of psilocybin when used in medical/research settings. The authors recommend rescheduling to Schedule IV (less restrictive than the current Schedule I).

Authors

  • Peter Hendricks
  • Roland Griffiths
  • Matthew Johnson

Published

Neuropharmacology
meta Study

Abstract

This review assesses the abuse potential of medically-administered psilocybin, following the structure of the 8 factors of the US Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Research suggests the potential safety and efficacy of psilocybin in treating cancer-related psychiatric distress and substance use disorders, setting the occasion for this review. A more extensive assessment of abuse potential according to an 8-factor analysis would eventually be required to guide appropriate schedule placement. Psilocybin, like other 5-HT2A agonist classic psychedelics, has limited reinforcing effects, supporting marginal, transient non-human self-administration. Nonetheless, mushrooms with variable psilocybin content are used illicitly, with a few lifetime use occasions being normative among users. Potential harms include dangerous behavior in unprepared, unsupervised users, and exacerbation of mental illness in those with or predisposed to psychotic disorders. However, scope of use and associated harms are low compared to prototypical abused drugs, and the medical model addresses these concerns with dose control, patient screening, preparation and follow-up, and session supervision in a medical facility. Conclusions: (1) psilocybin has an abuse potential appropriate for CSA scheduling if approved as medicine; (2) psilocybin can provide therapeutic benefits that may support the development of an approvable New Drug Application (NDA) but further studies are required which this review describes; (3) adverse effects of medical psilocybin are manageable when administered according to risk management approaches; and (4) although further study is required, this review suggests that placement in Schedule IV may be appropriate if a psilocybin-containing medicine is approved.

Available with Blossom Pro

Research Summary of 'The abuse potential of medical psilocybin according to the 8 factors of the Controlled Substances Act'

Introduction

Psilocybin (4-phosphoryloxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is being investigated as a potential treatment for depression and anxiety in patients with life‑threatening cancer, and more preliminarily for treatment‑resistant depression and substance use disorders. The authors frame the current interest in psilocybin against its historical context: marketed briefly in the early 1960s as Indocybin®, its clinical development and research were curtailed by social and regulatory backlash, and psilocybin was placed in Schedule I of the US Controlled Substances Act (CSA) in 1970. Renewed clinical and preclinical work since the 1990s, coupled with modern clinical trial methods and surveillance data, motivates a reassessment of its abuse potential and appropriate scheduling if a psilocybin‑containing drug product were to receive FDA approval. Johnson and colleagues set out to evaluate the abuse potential of medically administered psilocybin using the eight‑factor analysis required by the CSA. The review compiles evidence from preclinical animal studies, human laboratory and clinical trials, historical and ethnographic records, and national surveillance systems to address each CSA factor, and offers a preliminary scheduling recommendation and identification of gaps that would need to be addressed in an NDA‑level abuse potential assessment and supporting programme.

Expert Research Summaries

Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.

Full Text PDF

Full Paper PDF

Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.

Study Details

References (48)

Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom

Psychedelics: Where we are now, why we got here, what we must do

Belouin, S. J., Henningfield, J. E. · Neuropharmacology (2018)

Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: a proof-of-concept study

Bogenschutz, M. P., Forcehimes, A. A., Pommy, J. A. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

Survey study of challenging experiences after ingesting psilocybin mushrooms: Acute and enduring positive and negative consequences

Carbonaro, T. M., Bradstreet, M. P., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016)

Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: an open-label feasibility study

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Bolstridge, M., Rucker, J. et al. · Lancet Psychiatry (2016)

1174 cited
Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Erritzoe, D., Williams, T. et al. · PNAS (2012)

Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Muthukumaraswamy, S., Roseman, L. et al. · PNAS (2016)

Experienced drug users assess the relative harms and benefits of drugs: a web-based survey

Carhart-Harris, R. L., Nutt, D. J. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2013)

Using Psilocybin to Investigate the Relationship between Attention, Working Memory, and the Serotonin 1A and 2A Receptors

Carter, O., Burr, D. C., Pettigrew, J. D. et al. · Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience (2006)

Psilocybin links binocular rivalry switch rate to attention and subjective arousal levels in humans

Carter, O. L., Hasler, F. ;., Pettigrew, J. D. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2007)

Show all 48 references
Psilocybin for treating substance use disorders?

de Veen, B. T. H., Schellekens, A., Verheij, M. M. et al. · Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (2016)

The behavioral pharmacology of hallucinogens

Fantegrossi, W. E., Murnane, K. S., Reissig, C. J. · Biochemical Pharmacology (2007)

Psilocybin-occasioned mystical experiences in the treatment of tobacco addiction

Garcia-Romeu, A., Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W. · Current Drug Abuse Reviews (2015)

Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects

Griffiths, R. R., Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2011)

Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer

Grob, C. S., Danforth, A. L., Chopra, G. S. et al. · JAMA Psychiatry (2011)

Multiple receptors contribute to the behavioral effects of indoleamine hallucinogens

Halberstadt, A. L., Geyer, M. A. · Neuropharmacology (2011)

Hallucinogen use predicts reduced recidivism among substance-involved offenders under community corrections supervision

Hendricks, P. S., Clark, B., Johnson, M. W. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)

89 cited
The relationships of classic psychedelic use with criminal behavior in the United States adult population

Hendricks, P. S., Crawford, M. S., Cropsey, K. L. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)

Psilocybin, psychological distress, and suicidality

Hendricks, P. S., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

84 cited
Classic psychedelic use is associated with reduced psychological distress and suicidality in the United States adult population

Hendricks, P. S., Thorne, C. B., Clark, B. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015)

345 cited
Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety

Johnson, M. W., Richards, W. A., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008)

Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction

Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Cosimano, M. P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014)

Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation

Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., Griffiths, R. R. · The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse (2016)

562 cited
Potential Therapeutic Effects of Psilocybin

Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Neurotherapeutics (2017)

Psilocybin dose-dependently causes delayed, transient headaches in healthy volunteers

Johnson, M. W., Sewell, R. A., Griffiths, R. R. · Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2012)

Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness

Maclean, K. A., Johnson, M. W., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2011)

Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Psilocybin in 9 Patients With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Moreno, F. A., Wiegand, C. B., Taitano, E. K. et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2006)

Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm

Nichols, C. D., Nichols, D. E., Johnson, M. W. · Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2016)

Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation

King, C., Nichols, D. E. · Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2013)

The pharmacology of psilocybin

Passie, T., Seifert, J., Schneider, U. et al. · Addiction Biology (2002)

The association of psychedelic use and opioid use disorders among illicit users in the United States

Pisano, V. D., Putnam, N. P., Kramer, H. M. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017)

Increased amygdala responses to emotional faces after psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression

Roseman, L., Demetriou, L., Wall, M. B. et al. · Neuropharmacology (2018)

Psychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future

Rucker, J., Iliff, J., Nutt, D. J. · Neuropharmacology (2017)

Increased spontaneous MEG signal diversity for psychoactive doses of ketamine, LSD and psilocybin

Schartner, M., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Barrett, A. B. et al. · Scientific Reports (2017)

19 cited
Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey

Schindler, E. A. D., Gottschalk, C. H., Weil, M. J. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2015)

91 cited
Can psychedelic compounds play a part in drug dependence therapy?

Sessa, B., Johnson, M. W. · British Journal of Psychiatry (2018)

Increased Activation of Indirect Semantic Associations under Psilocybin

Spitzer, M., Thimm, M., Hermle, L. et al. · Biological Psychiatry (1996)

90 cited
Prediction of psilocybin response in healthy volunteers

Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Kometer, M. et al. · PLOS ONE (2012)

Psychometric evaluation of the altered states of consciousness rating scale (OAV)

Studerus, E., Gamma, A., Vollenweider, F. X. · PLOS ONE (2010)

Harm potential of magic mushroom use: A review

Van Amsterdam, J., Opperhuizen, A., Van Den Brink, W. · Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (2011)

169 cited
Psilocybin induces schizophrenia-like psychosis in humans via a serotonin-2 agonist action

Vollenweider, F. X., Vollenweider-Scherpenhuyzen, M. F. I., Bäbler, A. et al. · NeuroReport (1998)

Cited By (77)

Papers in Blossom that reference this study

Epidemiology of Hallucinogen Microdosing Among Young Adults in the United States: A National Study

Keyes, K. M., Terry-McElrath, Y., Patrick, M. E. · Drugs and Alcohol Review (2026)

Psilocybin treatment extends cellular lifespan and improves survival of aged mice

Kato, K., Kleinhenz, J. M., Shin, Y. J. et al. · npj Aging (2025)

The unique neural signature of your trip: Functional connectome fingerprints of subjective psilocybin experience

Tolle, H. M., Farah, J. C., Mallaroni, P. et al. · Network Neuroscience (2024)

Psychiatric risks for worsened mental health after psychedelic use

Marrocu, A., Kettner, H., Weiss, B. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2024)

41 cited
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Haikazian, S., Chen-Li, D., Johnson, D. et al. · Psychiatry Research (2023)

Show all 77 papers
Case analysis of long-term negative psychological responses to psychedelics

Bremler, R., Katati, N., Shergill, P. et al. · Scientific Reports (2023)

The Relationship Between Naturalistic Psychedelic Use and Clinical Care in Canada

Glynos, N., Kruger, D. J., Kolbman, N. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2023)

9 cited
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for People with Eating Disorders

Gukasyan, N., Schreyer, C. C., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Current Psychiatry Reports (2022)

Effects of classic psychedelic drugs on turbulent signatures in brain dynamics

Cruzat, J., Perl, Y. S., Escrichs, A. et al. · Network Neuroscience (2022)

19 cited
Neural Mechanisms and Psychology of Psychedelic Ego Dissolution

Stoliker, D., Egan, G. F., Friston, K. J. et al. · Pharmacological Reviews (2022)

Classic psychedelics and alcohol use disorders: A systematic review of human and animal studies

Calleja-Conde, J., Morales-García, J. A., Echeverry-Alzate, V. et al. · Addiction Biology (2022)

Psychedelic drug abuse potential assessment research for new drug applications and Controlled Substances Act scheduling

Henningfield, J. E., Coe, M. A., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Neuropharmacology (2022)

Psychedelic Microdosing, Mindfulness, and Anxiety: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Study

Hartong, V., van Emmerik, A. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2022)

Postpartum depression: A role for psychedelics?

Jairaj, C., Rucker, J. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)

Adverse experiences resulting in emergency medical treatment seeking following the use of magic mushrooms

Kopra, E., Ferris, J. A., Winstock, A. R. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)

Psilocybin-Assisted Compassion Focused Therapy for Depression

Pots, W., Chakhssi, F. · Frontiers in Psychology (2022)

How Psychedelic-Assisted Treatment Works in the Bayesian Brain

Villiger, D. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022)

Drug-drug interactions between psychiatric medications and MDMA or psilocybin: a systematic review

Sarparast, A., Thomas, K., Malcolm, B. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2022)

Efficacy and safety of psilocybin-assisted treatment for major depressive disorder: Prospective 12-month follow-up

Davis, A. K., Streeter Barrett, F., Cosimano, M. P. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022)

306 cited
Exploring the Credibility of Psilocybin-assisted Therapy and Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Depression

Altman, B. R., Earleywine, M., De Leo, J. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2022)

4 cited
Human behavioral pharmacology of psychedelics

Strickland, J. C., Johnson, M. W. · Advances in Pharmacology (2022)

5 cited
Psychedelic Therapy's Transdiagnostic Effects: A Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) Perspective

Dursun, S. M., Kelly, J. R., Gillan, C. M. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

Classic psychedelics in the treatment of substance use disorder: Potential synergies with twelve-step programs

Yaden, D. B., Berghella, A. P., Regier, P. S. et al. · International Journal of Drug Policy (2021)

41 cited
Psychedelics as Novel Therapeutics in Alzheimer’s Disease: Rationale and Potential Mechanisms

Garcia-Romeu, A., Darcy, S., Jackson, H. et al. · Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2021)

From Psychiatry to Neurology: Psychedelics as Prospective Therapeutics for Neurodegenerative Disorders

Nichols, C. D., Wiatr, K., Figiel, M. et al. · Journal of Neurochemistry (2021)

63 cited
A narrative synthesis of research with 5-MeO-DMT

Ermakova, A. O., Dunbar, F., Rucker, J. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)

Psilocybin for End-of-Life Anxiety Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Yang, F., Yang, S., Tseng, P. et al. · Psychiatry Investigation (2021)

Psychedelic mushrooms in the USA: Knowledge, patterns of use and association with health outcomes

Matzopoulos, R., Morlock, A., Morlock, R. et al. · MedRvix (2021)

Psilocybin as a Novel Pharmacotherapy for Treatment-Refractory Anorexia Nervosa

Rodan, S., Aouad, P., McGregor, I. S. et al. · OBM Neurobiology (2021)

Psychedelic perceptions: mental health service user attitudes to psilocybin therapy

Corrigan, K., Haran, M., Mccandliss, C. et al. · Irish Journal of Medical Science (2021)

Use of psilocybin (“mushrooms”) among US adults: 2015-2018

Yockey, R. A., King, K. A. · Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2021)

Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder

Davis, A. K., Barrett, F. S., May, D. G. et al. · JAMA Psychiatry (2021)

1015 cited
On the Relationship between Classic Psychedelics and Suicidality: A Systematic Review

Zeifman, R. J., Singhal, N., Breslow, L. et al. · ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science (2021)

Associations between lifetime classic psychedelic use and markers of physical health

Simonsson, O., Sexton, J. D., Hendricks, P. S. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)

65 cited
The potential synergistic effects between psychedelic administration and nature contact for the improvement of mental health

Gandy, S., Forstmann, M., Carhart-Harris, R. L. et al. · Health Psychology Open (2020)

Ketamine and Serotonergic Psychedelics: Common Mechanisms Underlying the Effects of Rapid-Acting Antidepressants

Kadriu, B., Greenwald, M., Ba et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)

The Emerging Role of Psilocybin and MDMA in the Treatment of Mental Illness

Gill, H., Gill, B., Chen-Li, D. et al. · Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (2020)

The therapeutic potential of microdosing psychedelics in depression

Kuypers, K. P. C. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2020)

Psychedelics and virtual reality: parallels and applications

Aday, J. S., Davoli, C. C., Bloesch, E. K. · Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (2020)

Ethics and ego dissolution: the case of psilocybin

Smith, W. R., Sisti, D. · Journal of Medical Ethics (2020)

Chronic pain and psychedelics: a review and proposed mechanism of action

Castellanos, J. P., Woolley, C., Bruno, K. A. et al. · Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (2020)

101 cited
Long-term effects of psychedelic drugs: A systematic review

Aday, J. S., Mitzkovitz, C. M., Bloesch, E. K. et al. · Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (2020)

Reviewing the potential of psychedelics for the treatment of PTSD

Krediet, E., Bostoen, T., Breeksema, J. J. et al. · International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2020)

Microdosing psychedelics: Demographics, practices, and psychiatric comorbidities.

Rosenbaum, D., Weissman, C. R., Anderson, T. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020)

55 cited
Psychedelics and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy

Reiff, C. M., Richman, E. E., Nemeroff, C. B. et al. · American Journal of Psychiatry (2020)

Self-reported negative outcomes of psilocybin users: A quantitative textual analysis

Bienemann, B., Ruschel, N. S., Campos, M. L. et al. · PLOS ONE (2020)

57 cited
Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey

Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2020)

121 cited
In vivo production of psilocybin in E. coli

Adams, A. M., Kaplan, N. A., Wei, Z. et al. · Metabolic Engineering (2019)

Toward a contextual psychedelic-assisted therapy: Perspectives from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and contextual behavioral science

Luoma, J. B., Sabucedo, P., Eriksson, J. et al. · Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (2019)

Psychedelic microdosing benefits and challenges: an empirical codebook

Anderson, T., Petranker, R., Christopher, A. et al. · Harm Reduction Journal (2019)

Effects of acute and repeated treatment with serotonin 5-HT2A receptor agonist hallucinogens on intracranial self-stimulation in rats

Sakloth, F., Leggett, E., Moerke, M. J. et al. · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (2019)

41 cited
Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use

Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Fire Erowid et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2019)

211 cited
Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function

Johnson, M. W., Hendricks, P. S., Barrett, F. S. et al. · Pharmacology and Therapeutics (2019)

Metabolism of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): an update

Libânio Osório Marta, R. F. · Drug Metabolism Reviews (2019)

Microdosing psychedelics: personality, mental health, and creativity differences in microdosers

Anderson, T., Petranker, R., Rosenbaum, D. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2019)

142 cited
Psychiatry might need some psychedelic therapy

Johnson, M. W. · International Review of Psychiatry (2018)

Your Personal Research Library

Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.